“Coaching is unlocking a person's potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” – Timothy Gallwey
In a climate where organizations require exceptional leaders, more organizations are turning to group coaching because it is a powerful catalyst for organizational success, offering a collaborative approach that drives both individual and collective growth. As employees and leaders undergo a self-actualization process through group coaching, they gain deeper self-awareness, clarity of purpose, and stronger interpersonal skills, making them more effective contributors to the organization’s goals.
Additionally, group coaching builds internal capacity and serves as a vital tool for shaping and evolving organizational culture. By extending coaching benefits to employees who might not typically receive such support, organizations can harness the collective potential of their teams, leading to enhanced performance, cohesive leadership, and sustainable growth.
What is Group Coaching?
Group coaching is a powerful form of individual development that occurs in a group setting, guided by a professional coach and designed to harness the collective energy, experience, and wisdom of the participants. Unlike traditional training, group coaching is a dynamic and interactive process that requires individuals to openly share and engage with their peers. In this environment, participants not only receive guidance from the coach but also learn how to coach one another, fostering a deeper level of support and insight.
One of the key distinctions between group coaching and traditional training workshops is the emphasis on participant involvement. Rather than passively receiving information, participants actively share their own experiences and insights, practice new skills and behaviors over time, and return to the group at regular intervals to challenge themselves, be transparent, and grow. This ongoing interaction and accountability are crucial in promoting significant personal growth, as participants are encouraged to take actionable steps toward achieving their goals and integrating their learning into their real-life and work situations.
An important difference between group and individual coaching is the added benefit of peer support. While individual coaching focuses solely on the relationship between the coach and the client, group coaching allows participants to benefit not only from the coach’s expertise but also from the diverse experiences and perspectives of their peers. This collaborative approach enriches the learning process and creates a more comprehensive development experience.
Best Practices for Group Coaching – Based on Heffelfinger Co. Experience
Group coaching is most effective in small groups of four to eight people who have the time and willingness to fully participate in the process, including taking assessments, supporting others’ learning goals by giving feedback, holding them accountable, etc., committing to building a supportive “learning group”, and a willingness to take on “homework” assignments in between coaching sessions.
For group coaching to be truly transformative, it is essential that participants voluntarily opt into the process and be allowed to opt-out after the orientation session if they feel they are not up to what’s required. This voluntary commitment helps create an environment conducive to meaningful change, where individuals are fully engaged and motivated to grow and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Best Candidates for Group Coaching:
- Middle managers (i.e. senior managers to directors’ level) who could benefit from coaching, peer coaching, cross department, or cross organization networking.
- Those with high potential for leadership roles who could benefit from coaching, peer coaching, and exposure to other talent.
- Individuals at the relative same level of development and potential who want to work on a developmental theme such as leading change.
- Individuals who are willing to be coached/are
- Individuals who are willing to coach their peers/learn coaching skills.
Group Coaching - The Heffelfinger Method
At The Heffelfinger Company, our approach to group coaching is led by Lori Heffelfinger, a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in executive coaching, management consulting, and leadership development with globally based organizations. Lori's coaching style is deeply rooted in understanding both the business challenges her clients face and their unique professional goals and leadership styles. By aligning these elements, Lori ensures that her clients are positioned to achieve the best possible outcomes not only for their business but also for their personal and professional well-being. Organizations who work with Lori for group coaching benefit from:
Increased self-awareness and self-disclosure capability for each leader
Increased capability to lead and problem solve
Increased peer coaching/mentoring capability
Increased personal resilience for each leader
Real-time, practical learning and immediate peer coaching for each leader
A dynamic and interactive learning environment among peers
Cross-functional fertilization
Culture change
Builds internal capacity and knowledge
Reinforces learning and enhances the transfer of learning
Accountability for developmental actions with those who are working the same issues but not in competition with them (less political – more supportive)
Sense of community – less isolation
Networking skill-building and development
Accountability and support for development
There are several ways to approach a group coaching process, including the pure coaching model, the hybrid coaching model, or the topical coaching model. Any of these approaches are perfectly acceptable and totally dependent on what will work best with the specific group of individuals and group as a whole. “We make a decision about the best approach to take after meeting with the executive sponsors and interviews with the participants,” Lori shared.
Methodology for 6 Month Group Coaching Engagement with HeffelfingerCo.
The Heffelfinger philosophy on group coaching translates into a sample journey that looks like this:
Preparation. Stage 1. Meet with the executive sponsor(s) to discuss potential coaching goals for the individuals/group and their hopes for the experience. Coach uses this information to assess which coaching approach to consider.
Preparation. Stage 1. Interviews with each participant to begin building a relationship, discuss client hopes and concerns, provide an overview of the program, assess coachability, and validate the coaching approach.
Overarching themes and possible mini-coaching topics or themes will be finalized after the interview stage is complete. Possible themes include:
Employee communication, well-being, and engagement in virtual environment
Developing high-performance teams
Leading change/leading in uncertainty
Leadership brand/vision/executive presence
Management practices/structures
Strategic perspective/leveraging relationships
Month 1. Stage 1. Kickoff/Orientation. The Heffelfinger coach orients the group on the program, answers any questions, and gets everyone prepared for assessments/360’s to set individual learning goals based on data.
Month 1. Stage 2. Assessment/Intake. Coachconducts 360 interviews to get feedback on strengths and developmental areas for each of the participants. Coach then provides a 1:1 debrief for each participant and administers the assessment(s).
Month 2. Development Plan Creation. The group shares development plans and receives peer and coach feedback.
Months 3-6. Coaching Sessions. Coaching sessions include:
Monthly group sessions coaching calls
Monthly individual coaching calls
Month 6. Closure. As group coaching comes to a close, there is a celebration of individual accomplishments and how to sustain them.
Empower Your Organization with Heffelfinger Company
The Heffelfinger Company empowers organizations by offering group coaching that cultivates leadership and aligns teams for sustainable, scalable success. Our proven group coaching methods unlock the full potential of each individual while fostering a collaborative environment where everyone thrives.
Experience the transformative impact that group coaching can bring to your organization. Contact The Heffelfinger Company today to discover how we can help you.
Warmly,
Lori & James
Lori Heffelfinger & James Jackman
